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No. 753,055. PATENTED H1323, 1904.

A. D. ESTIENNE. DECORTIGATI-NG MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 13. 1902.

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PATBNTED FEB. 23, 1904.

A. D. BSTIENNE. v DEGORTICATING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAB.. 13, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 23, 1904,

PATENT OEEICE.

ALFRED DIEUDONNE ESTENNE, OF MARSEILLES, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO ANGLO-FRENCH RAMIE MACHINE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF PARIS,

FRANCE.

DEOORTlCATlNG-MAGHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,055, dated February 23, 1904.

Appleman and March 1a, 1902.

leaves, or textile materials, effecting a regular and complete decortication of all the leaves or stalks introduced into the apparatus and a ready separation of the hackled material.

In my improved machine the leaves or stalks to be decorticated are seized by feed-rollers and presented at a given speed and caused to overhang the path of action of a beating- .drum provided with blades which in their rotation break open the stalks. The wood and pithrare thrown out by the blows, and the bundles or strips of fibers which have not been injured by reason of the free vspace left between the blades and the scutching-board are then seized between the edges of the blades of the beater and an elastic pallet or paddle carried on a spindle arranged parallel to the shaft of the beater.' The aforesaid blades of the beater and the elastic pallets or paddles revolve at a greater tangential velocity than the feed-rollers, so as to exercise a stripping or scraping action upon the bundles and to strip off therefrom the husk or pellicle in which the bers are incased. My improved machine is characterized by the special arrangement of these elastic pallets, each of which offers al1-unbroken surface, elastic or resilient at all points, in such a manner that the scraping eiort exercised upon each leaf or stalk is independent of the elort exercised upon the adjacent leaves or stalks and is the same whatever the number of leaves or stalks introduced at one time into the machine.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section showing a conf venient form or arrangement of my improved machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views showing the spindle carrying the elastic pallets or paddles in'longitudinal and transverse section,

Serial No. 98,038. (No model.)

respectively. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a modilied form or' said spindle. v

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the various figures.

As shown. in the drawings, my improved machine comprises two feed-rollers c c', rotating at a definite speed and arranged to seize the stalks fed thereto and to carry said stalks to be acted upon by the beating-cylinder The lower feed-roller a turns in fixed bearings, and the upper roller a turns in bearings supported by a pivoted frame c, controlled by tension-springs CZ in such amanner as to feed vin and at the same time slightly compress stalks of varying diameters. The stalks thus fed by the feed-rollers c a are passed onto the scutching-board e, and all parts of the stalks which traverse this board and which consequently overhang beyond the same are broken by the blows oi the blades c of the beatingcylinder 5 and reduced to bundles or strips of bers. A v

The blades Z1 are adjustable and are preferably of such a length and thickness as to permit them to be somewhat ieXible in order to assist the decortication and the separation of the `strips of fibers. Moreover, the edges of these blades are blunt or beveled, so as not to out the textile material.

rl`he blades of the beater strike successively the stalks overhanging the scutchingboard e and break them up, and under the action of the blows the wood and the pith are thrown out without destroying the fibers, a free space being provided between the ends of the blades 7J of the beater and the board e suliicient to permit the passage of the said bers. The stalks thus converted to strips are afterward seized between the end of one of the blades of the beater and one of the elastic pallets upon the spindle f. Each of these pallets consists of a yielding metallic blade g, carrying along its whole length stops or projections leaving a small free'space between them, which permits the metallic blade to be iexibly supported. These projections rest on elasticl supports consisting of spiral springs c', Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or of blocks 5 j and the projections are set, as shown in the drawings, between the ribs or flanges on the spindle f. Each pallet or paddle therefore presents an unbroken surface or yielding at all parts in such a manner that the pressure exercised upon each stalk after it has been converted into a strip and introduced between the end of a blade of the beater and this yielding surface is independent of that exercised upon the adjacent strip, even when the latter is of a different thickness.

The blades b of the beating-cylinder and the blades g of the pallets of the spindle f have .the same tangential velocity and are arranged in such a manner that a blade b and a pallet simultaneously pass a line joining their axes. rlhe tangential velocity of these blades and of the pallets being greater than that of the feedrollers and the strips being held back, together with the part which is still stalk-that is to say, containing still the wood-by the feedrollers co a', a continual rubbing or stripping action is set up, which removes all the husk remaining upon the iber. Moreover, since the contact-surface of each pallet is resilient or yielding at all points, the stripping action thus exercised is independent of that exercised upon the adjacent strips and will always be the same whatever the number of the stalks distributed across the machine. The bers after having been subjected to this stripping action are removed by the cross-pieces Z, formed, for example, of angle-iron mounted upon endless belts m, carried at one end upon the spindle f and at the other end upon pulleys n.

After having been submitted to the joint ac- 4o Z, which thus prevents them from being wound upon the spindle f. rJhe hackled fibers then issue from the machine completely stripped of all husk.

It is to be understood that I can apply my improved elastic pallet or paddle to other forms of decorticating-machines..l

I claim- 1. A decorticating machine, comprising feed-rollers, a rotary beater, a scutchingboard between the feed-rollers and beater, a spindle below said board and having channels, blades in said channels, the said blades having transverse openings, pins passing through said openings, and spring-supports for said blades.

2. A decorticating machine, comprising feed-rollers, a rotary beater,a scutching-board between the feed-rollers and beater, aspindle below said board and having channels, yielding blades in said channels and having heels provided with transverse-openings, pins passing through said openings, and spring-supports for-said blades.

The foregoing specification of my improvements in machines for decorticating ramie and the like signed by me this 25th day of February, 1902.

-ALFRED DIEUDONN ESTIENNE. Witnesses: j

EMILE GAscHn,

CHARLES GURINs. 

